In August of 1989, we arrived in Los Angeles where we had family. With their help, along with that of Jewish resettlement organizations like HIAS, my parents were set up with jobs.
— Milana Vayntrub
In the '80s, we were living in the U.S.S.R., where anti-Semitism was a deeply ingrained part of the culture. Being a Jewish person in the Soviet Union was not easy. Not that I remember any of that - I was barely old enough to chew back then - but for my parents, both Uzbekistan-born Jews, life was a struggle.
I think working with kids and seeing how kids are universally children - no matter what you do, they love playing on a bongo and they love drawing and they love playing - that is a great uniter.
Comedy came early. I knew when I was a kid that I was silly, and I knew that I liked people who were funny, but I don't think I knew I was funny. I didn't really think about it.
I did a commercial for a phone company when I was five. But my first big thing was when I was eight. I was on the first season of 'E.R.'
My directing opportunities have been awesome, and my acting opportunities, some have been great and some have not.
The goal of Can't Do Nothing is to ask people, what matters for you? And whatever it is, what are you doing about it? How bad does it need to get before you take action?
I do know what it's like to be an outsider.
We had a lot of help when we got to America.
Being an immigrant myself, but feeling very American, and also being the child of immigrants, I understand the feeling of wanting a home.
My family had to live in Vienna for three months, then in Italy for another nine, while we waited for refugee status.
I would love to keep directing commercials. I love it so much. I love working with brands and ad agencies and old white men who have been doing this for 60 years.
You can't say that we need to give women more roles, and then when we do, say that they're only there because men want to look at them.
I'm a real nerd for science. I love Neil deGrasse Tyson and 'Cosmos' and all that.
Every opportunity I've had to work and act with incredibly talented directors, like Dean Holland was on 'Love,' and the writers and creators of that show, Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Leslie Arfin, have been incredible learning experiences that have informed my creative process.
Commercial directing felt like a very natural transition from my comedy, sketch, music video directing experience.
We're so lucky to take being alive for granted.
I think a lot of Americans forget that they are not originally from here, that somebody in their past was a refugee.
Nobody is powerless.
I was three years old, so I actually don't remember much of the refugee process.
In the late '80s, the U.S.S.R. loosened its restrictions on immigration. When the government was like, 'Y'all wanna bounce?' my family, along with tens of thousands of other Jews ran for the door in an attempt to make a better life in America.
When I direct - everything I've directed has had improv in it, because I think there's something special in a performance the first time it's said out loud that's hard to recreate.
My grandmother was a nanny for an Orthodox Jewish family, and she would come home and tell us about that.
I'm not really into sci-fi movies, but I'm into the science of space a lot. I love astronomy and thinking about the nothingness of the everythingness of space.
The AT&T commercials are the most fun acting opportunity that anyone could ask for. That being said, directing exercises a part of my brain that is really fun that I don't get to try out as an actor.
We all have the power to be influencers.
I want to be able to enjoy my life to the fullest so I can add something to the lives of people around me.
There are moments in your life where you realize you could do nothing, but if you do, you'll probably regret it forever.
I remember what it was like when my parents couldn't help me with my homework because they couldn't speak the language, or being a translator for my parents. I did that a lot.
